Maybe He Could Help
by aesirborn
Summary: Hiram Berry wasn't expecting Burt Hummel, a bully who left some pretty deep scars, to approach him at an Elementary School Open House. Even less did he expect Hummel to come asking for his help. T for brief slurs against homosexuals.


**Maybe He Could Help**

**Summary: Hiram Berry wasn't expecting Burt Hummel, a bully who left some pretty deep scars, to approach him at an Elementary School Open House. Even less did he expect Hummel to come asking for his help.**

**A/N: I wanted to write a glee fic. This happened.**

**Disclaimer: I am too mediocre to own Glee, sadly.**

Leroy had stayed at home with Rachel, since neither of them particularly wanted to bring Rachel to Parent's Night. Hiram hadn't really wanted to go at all, but he wanted to meet Rachel's beloved second grade teacher and see the surroundings of his daughter's school life.

The small room was crowded with parents looking at papers and the second grade artwork hung on the wall, mingling together and speaking with the slight, ditzy looking blonde woman that was apparently the famous best-second-grade-teacher-ever, Mrs. James.

He was about to approach her when a relieved looking man got in his way. The guy was starting to go a bit gray, and he had recent sorrow in his eyes and a paunchy figure. A slim little brunette boy wearing things way to dressy for the occasion hung onto his hand.

"Hey, are you, uh, Hiram Berry?" The man asked, and with his voice came an onslaught of memories, the names, words like _fag_, and _queer_, the bruises from being pushed around by Burt Hummel and his friends.

"Yes. I am. And I'm pretty sure you're Burt Hummel." The words came out harsher than he intended, but the emotion hung in the air, and Burt squirmed in his shoes.

"Look, I really need some help." Burt's voice sounded almost desperate. Hiram was a good man, he decided to listen to Burt.

"What do you need help with?" Hiram asked, his voice kinder now, seeing how visibly upset the other man looked.

"My son. My wife was always better at these things but she's... gone." Burt looked sad, and you could see the beginnings of a tear in his right eye. "I just need some guidance with the boy."

Hiram looked down at the little boy. He was aware he was being talked about and decided to keep silent and listen. He seemed very mature for his age.

"Sure. Here's my card." Hiram got out his wallet and found one of the laminated papers. "You can call me anytime, okay?"

"Thank you so much. I'll get off your back now." And then Burt took his son and left, like the only reason he had come at all was hoping to find Hiram or Leroy. Maybe it was the only reason Burt came.

Burt sat at the table. He'd just put Kurt to bed after finishing up with dinner, and he stared at the tiny card in his hand. On it, there was a picture of the bespectacled man, looking only slightly more wrinkled than the high school version of him Burt remembered tormenting. Next to that, in plain, simple, font was written Hiram's full name, a phone number, a fax number, and an address.

Burt took a deep breath, staring at the corded phone in his hands. He punched in the number, and waited through the ringing. Finally, somebody picked up. "Hi, you have reached the Berry home. Rachel speaking." It was a high little girl voice- Kurt had talked with a certain loathing of a Rachel Berry at some point.

"Hello Rachel, can I talk to your Dad, Hiram?" Burt said into the phone.

"DADDY! Some guy is on the phone for you!" Burt could hear the girl shriek through the phone that was pressed against his ear. Ouch. The kid had pipes.

After waiting a moment, Hiram's voice filled the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, its... Burt." Burt hesitated. "Do you think we could get together sometime soon to talk about Kurt, my son?"

"How about a brunch at my place tomorrow while the kids are in school?" Hiram offered. Leroy was making pancakes, and they both had been wanting to speak with another parent about kids, even if the topic in specific, was unknown.

But Hiram had his suspicions.

"Sounds good. I'll be there at ten?" Burt said.

The next day, after dropping Kurt off at school, (he'd despised the school bus as a kid) Burt swung by 7-11 and bought some groceries. By the time he got home, it was fifteen minutes to ten. He stuffed the carton of milk in the fridge and got in his car, revving the engine.

It was easy to find the Berry's home, it was only a couple blocks down from Burt's. It was an unassuming small two-story, achingly-average suburban home.

He rang the door bell, and waited patiently.

Hiram Berry was currently slaving over putting the table together whilst Leroy caressed his hands, making the process slower. "Shoo, Leroy." He had told him repeatedly, but the mocha colored man wouldn't 'shoo'. Until the doorbell rang and they knew their guest was there.

"I'll get it." Leroy said, disappearing from the kitchen.

Leroy Berry opened the door for Burt. He'd been several years ahead of him in school, so Burt knew him by face, name, and not much else.

"I'm Burt, nice to meet you." Burt said, holding out a hand calmly.

"I'm Leroy. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Leroy said, when, in truth, he was not entirely pleased.

Burt was led through a boring foyer into the Berry kitchen, where Hiram was just finishing up on the table. It had a totally cliché blue and white table cloth, covered with by several plates, a fruit bowl, three table glasses and three wine glasses. A bottle of wine stood next to a carton of orange juice and a pitcher of water.

All three sat down, Hiram retrieving pancakes from the oven and passing the platter around. Burt looked at the fruit bowl and took a banana, pouring himself a tall glass of orange juice.

"So, what is it you wanted to ask us about?" Hiram broke the awkward silence, after taking a sip of his water.

"It's my son, Kurt... Katherine and I were pretty sure he was gay for a couple of years, but Katherine is... gone, now, and I'm not sure how to deal with it."

Hiram and Leroy glanced at each other. Hiram wanted to say _"Karma, bro."_, oh so badly, but here Burt Hummel was, exposing himself, so how could he say something so insensitive?

"That is a predicament, isn't it?" Leroy said, breaking the awkwardness. Hiram thought he saw Burt smile, the tiniest bit.

"I just don't really know what to do. I want to shelter him, but he's really on the flamboyant side already, and I won't always be able to protect him from... guys like me."

"You've got to be as cool about it as possible when Kurt figures it out and accepts it, and gets up the nerve to tell you. The one thing that boy is gonna need someday is a protective dad, even if you feel awkward around him." Hiram said, pretty much spilling out everything he wished for as teenager in different words.

"If he's so flamboyant, let him stay chummy with the girls." Leroy suggested. "Don't encourage him to lock them out, let him play with them. He'll get upset around the boys usually, and it'll be like letting a teenage daughter hang around older guys in some ways someday."

"Okay, so when it comes to outings and hanging around with friends when I'm not there, treat him more like a girl? So you're saying I should let him have sleepovers with girls?" Burt sounded royally confused.

"No, no, sleepovers with girls is all your call. But I'd watch out on sleepovers with boys." Leroy said sheepishly.

"Got it. No sleepovers with boys. Girls. Maybe." Burt said. There was still a tone of confusion in his voice.

Hiram took the conversation into his own hands. "Just be a good dad and go by your gut. Help him through things and stick your neck out. Someday, being a supportive and accepting dad will be the best thing you can give that boy."


End file.
